Clamp assembly



April 22, 1941- 1G. H. HUFFERD ETAL ,937

CLAMP AS SEMBLY Filed July 15, 1939 GEORGE H. HUFFERb HOMER \Sru/mr I b l Patented Apr. 22, 1941 CLAMP ASSEMBLY George H. Hufierd and Homer B. Stuart, Detroit,

Mich, assignors t Thompson Products, Incorporated, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application July 15, 1939, Serial No. 284,741

1 Claim.

This invention relates to clamp assemblies adapted to receive and contract around inserts therein. The invention also includes a process of making such clamping members of strips of toward each other by means of a clamping bolt. It is, then, an object of this invention to provide a. clamping member for permanent assembly with a tie-rod having integraldependent ears metal. 5 for contracting the tie-rod about an insert.

More specifically, this invention relates to a Another object of the invention is to form from clamping assembly for tie-rods or the like, flat metal strip stock a clamping member having whereby the tie-rods are provided with clamping integral clamping ears. ears welded thereon for contracting the tie-rod A further object of the invention is to protu e around an insert. This invention spel0 vide a clamping member of the split-ring type cifically includes a process of making such having integral spaced opposed ear portions clamping assemblies from flat strip metal stock formed by bending the walls thereof transversely by bending and welding operations. to'the direction of force to be exerted there- While the invention will be hereinafter spebetween to resist flexing of the ears when such cifically described in connection with tie-rods, it drawing force is exerted. should be understood that the principles of the A further object of the invention is to proinvention are not limited to such use and that vide clamping members 'from fiat metal strips the process and product of the invention relate by stamping and bending operations. to the provision of clamping assemblies in gen- Another object of theinvention is to provide eral. an assembly of clamping members of one of the Tie-rods have heretofore been prepared from types described with a tie-rod by spot-welding seamless or butt-seam tubing. The ends of the operations. rods have been internally threaded and longi- Still another object of the invention is to protudinally slotted along the threaded ends. Sepavide an assembly of a clamping member of anrate clamping rings have been disposed around other of the [types described with a tie-rod by a the ends of the tie rods for contracting the dibutt-welding operation. ameter thereof around the shanks of tie rod A further object of this invention is to provide joints that have been threaded into the rods. a tie-rod having integral opposed clamping ears, This construction has not been entirely sati-sseparated by a slot in the tie-rod along a porfactory, asit has been expensive, required many tion'of its length, adapted to cooperate with a mechanical operations, and involved the use of clamping bolt for decreasing the width of the separate clamping rings which did not form a slot to contract the rod diameter. direct part of the tie-rods. Other and further objects of the invention The present invention now provides for the will become apparent to those skilled in the art manufacture of clamping assemblies with the from the following detailed description of the tie-rods by simple bending and welding operaannexed sheet of drawings, which discloses pretions. The resulting assemblies provide tie-rods ferredem'bodiments of the invention. having integral clamping ears thereon which On the drawing: take the place of the previously'used separate Figure l is a broken vertical sectional View, clamping rings. 40 with parts in fragmentary elevation, along a According to this invention, the clamping portion of the length of a clamping assembly members formed from flat metal strips by aocordingto this invention; bending only. The clamping ear segments, in Figure 2 is an end elevational view, with a any of the disclosures and modifications herein, p Cross-Section, taken along e line I are so shaped as to be welded to the tie-rod in of Figure 1; such a position that a drawing together of such Figure 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view ears will contract the tie-rod around an insert taken along the line IIIIII' of Figure 1, with therein. parts in elevation;

A feature of the invention includes the forma- Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view tion of the clamping cars by outwardly extending of a modified form of a clamping assembly acwails depending from opposite sides of a tie-lrod cording to this invention; slot in spaced opposed relation. Figure?) is a vertical cross-sectional view taken Another feature includes bending the clampalong the line VV of Figure 4, with parts in ing ear walls transversely of the tie-rod slot to elevation; prevent dosing of the ears when they are drawn Figure 6 is a broken vertical sectional view,

with parts in fragmentary elevation, of another modification of the clamping assembly according to this invention;

Figure 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line VII-VII of Figure 6, with parts in elevation.

As shown on the drawing:

In Figure 1, the reference numeral lEl designates generally a tie-rod according to this invention. The tie-rod Iii has an open end H which is internally threaded as at l2 for a desired distance into the rod, for receiving in threaded relation the shank l3 of a tie-rod joint (not shown). A slot I4 is provided in the tie-rod l8 extending inwardly for a desired distance longitudinally from the threaded end thereof. As disclosed in Figure 1, this distance is usually less than the length of the threaded relation between the tie-rod l and the shank.

The reference numeral l5 designates generally a clamping member according to this invention. The clamping member I5 is formed from a flat piece of metal having a thickness substantially the same as the wall thickness of the tie-rod H].

The flat piece of metal is bent or stamped to form a split-ring l6, as shown in Figure 2, providing a slot l1 therebetween. A cross-section of this split-ring I6 is identical with a cross-section of the tie-rod Hi. split-ring I6 is flared outwardly as at P8 to a bell-mouth shape. Extending portions of the ring are bent away from the bell-mouth l8 to form outside looped ears 19. The free ends 21 of the ears I9 are shaped to the curved surface; of the tie-rod In. As shown in Figures 1 and 2,

ears I9, as shown in Figure 3, can be welded ets to the tie-rod l6, if desired. However, if metal of sufficient strength to resist torsion when clamping pressure is applied is used to form the ears is, no welding of the free ends it is necessary.

When an insert, such as the shank I3 is in- 'serted within the tie-rod If] in loose threaded relation therewith, a tightening of the clamping bolt 23 by a nut 25 will draw the ears I9 towards each other. By so doing, the width of the tie-rod slot I4 is decreased, and the tie-rod diameter is contracted to clampingly' engage the insert l3. It is to be noted that the ears i9 are sufliciently wide to resist flexing as they are drawn together.

While the preferred embodiment, as disclosed. in Figure 1, shows the clamping member l5 shaped with a bell-mouth 18, this mouth can also be of the same diameter as the tie-rod Ill. By flaring the mouth, entrance thereto is facilitated.

The internal portion 25 of the clamping member l5 can also be internally threaded simultaneously with the threading of the tie-rod. This will remove welding flash metal and will give additional support to the clamping member when the insert therein is clampingly engaged.

From the above description of Figures 1 to 3, it should be understood that the clamping member may be bent or stamped into the desired shape by compound dies around shaping man- 75 The outer end of the drels in a single step. The clamping assembly thus formed has great strength, and the integral ears on the clamping member are shaped to resist flexing when a. clamping pressure is exerted thereagainst.

In the modification shown in Figures 4 and 5, the reference numeral ll] again designates a slotted tie-rod having a threaded end within which is inserted a shank I3 in threaded relation thereto. The clamping device of this modification comprises a pair of members 26, both of which are identical. Each member 26 comprises a base portion 21, curved to seat along a portion of the length of the tie-rod ID. A substantial portion of the center of the base 2'! is disposed transversely outward to form an upstanding wall 26 having the sides 29 and the top 3| turned inwardly to form a box-like portion. At the center of this box-like portion, a hole 32 is provided to receive a clamping bolt 23. The clamping members 2% are then spot-welded or otherwise secured to the tie-rod l0 adjacent its threaded end, one on each side of the slot l4, and having their inner faces parallel and ad- 'jacent to said slot. Figure 4 discloses the spotwelding as at points 33. Both clamping members 28 face each other so as to align the bolt holes 32.

The insert I3 is clampingly secured within the tie-rod III in the same manner as that shown in Figures 1 to 3. A tightening of the clamping bolt 23 by the nut draws the clamping members 26 towards each other, thereby decreasing the width of the slot M and contracting the tie-rod l0 around the threaded insert I3. The outer faces of the walls 2-8 are substantially parallel with each other and with the sides of the slot M. The clamping assembly thus formed has great strength in proportion to the thickness of the metal used in the clamps 26, as the box-like portions are rigidly reinforced against bending by the inturned edges thereof.

A further modification of this invention is shown in Figures 6 and '7. The reference numeral I0 again designates the tie-rod which has a longitudinal slot l4 along a portion of its internally threaded end. The clamping device herein is formed by a pair of ears 34, each shaped from flat metal strips. A flat metal strip of substantially rectangular shape, having its free ends curved to seat on the outside of the tie-rod I0,

is bent to a U-shape. A pair of such U-shaped ears 34 are inverted and projection Welded or otherwise secured to the tie-rod I0. They are secured, one on each side of the slot 14, adjacent the end of the tie-rod in such a manner that the u-shaped holes 35 are in transverse alignment to said slot. The resulting assembly is operative in the same manner as the other structures defined herein. By tightening the bolt 23 by the nut 25, the ears 34 are drawn toward each other, thereby contracting the tie-rod l0 around the threaded insert 13.

It should be appreciated that the bending, stamping and welding operations can be widely varied without departing from the principles of this invention. The invention, in its broader aspects, includes the formation of clamping members from strip stock which provides clamping ears to be integrally secured to a clamping assembly.

It will, of course, be understood that numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range Without departing from the principles of this invention, and it is therefore not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claim.

We claim as our invention:

A rod and joint shank assembly comprising a rod having an internally threaded longitudinally slotted end portion, an externally threaded joint shank adapted for threading into said end portion, a pair of U-shaped metal ears of appreciable Width having the ends of the legs thereof curved to fit around a portion of said rod, welds fixedly uniting each car on an opposite side of said slot with the wide side walls of the ear in angular relation to the slot and with the outer edges of the ears in diverging relationship, said rod extending between the legs of each ear'to cooperate with the ears for defining clamping bolt chambers isolated from the interior of the rod, and a clamping nut and bolt assembly extending through both chambers and across said slot to initially apply contracting forces to the bight of the ears due to the diverging outer edges thereof for exerting enhanced leverages for contracting the rod around the shank threaded therein to lock the shank in the rod. 

